Month: July 2019

McGregor Lake

On 28th July 2019

Life is Better at the Lake
Anonymous

Today’s adventure takes the whole family and both dogs in tow to our friends’ cottage, on McGregor Lake which is in Quebec about 30 minutes north of Ottawa. It was a beautiful day. Having everyone together at the same time was a lot of fun. We did learn that all dogs don’t like to swim, no matter how much you coax them.

For as many years as I can remember, we have been coming up to the cottage, to visit our dear friends the Styles family. It is really neat to see how much each of our families have grown from bottles of milk to bottles of beer. The fun and cheer is always here. We love you momma duck! It is a cherished memory that we will have for ever, and will give us an excuse to come back to Ottawa. Maybe next time we will checkout the McGregor Lake camp ground and visit at the same time.

New York Central Fitness Trail & Red Umbrellas

By Momma Jo

On 26th July 2019

In Campgrounds

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
ALBERT EINSTEIN

Sounds exciting doesn’t it? New York, Central Fitness Trail – perhaps not as exciting as the name implies but it was a lot of fun!

From 1898 – 1957 this trail was the main railway track that commuted between Ottawa and New York. In 1979 the communities of Embrun and Russel changed it into a multi-use recreation trail that connects the two communities.

Today we met our good friends (Angela & Murray) in this little town called Embrun, ON at the trail head which conveniently is the old train station building that has been converted into a coffee/smoothie shop. The 12 km trail is paved, which makes for an easy drive and a great one for having conversations while catching up with good friends.

Now here is where the red umbrellas come in. After we finished the bike ride, we wanted to catch a bite to eat and a beer. Well on the way to the bike path Jo noticed the beautiful red umbrellas… So, we checked it out and you guessed it, it was a microbrewery. Man, I must have a nose for craft breweries!

Brasserie Étienne Brûlé Brewery, claims to have Organic Craft Beer and locally sourced food, and we know they have bright red umbrellas. The flight of beer today had the Vagabond Blonde Ale, Notre-Dame Pilsner, Strawberry Milkshake and Black Creek – Black Pale Ale. The beer was good, the Strawberry Milkshake was interesting to say the least. The food and company were fabulous.

Biking, Beer and Red Umbrellas – How does it get better than this!!

Black Dog Bistro

By Momma Jo

On 25th July 2019

In Events

Good Food and Good Company are two of life’s Simplest Yet Greatest Pleasures
Growit media

Today was a beautiful day for lunch on the patio. And the best part of it was that I got to spend it two of my best friends. Now that we are on the go so much and will be moving in the new year it is important to capture these moments. Seize the moment, as I truly believe.! What a better place to do so then on the patio of the Black Dog Bistro in Manotick Ontario.

The hostess was friendly and cheerful, and greeted us with a beautiful smile. Of course I was somewhat biased as the hostess was our daughter, Rebekah! Our table was on the partially covered patio, which gave us some protection from the hot sun but allowed us a comfortable temperature to be outside.

The food was excellent, the sharing dishes of Spinach cheese dip, fish tacos and the Charcuterie board paired well with the wine, sangria, beer and laughter. The main course was even better than the appetizers. As our laughter and stories got louder, we enjoyed our French Onion soup, Beet Salad and a Chicken Wrap. The dessert menu looked decadent but maybe next time…

If you are ever in the area I would suggest you try the restaurant and I hope we can make it back here again. It is always fun to reminisce about days gone by.

Riding the Wave

By Momma Jo

On 24th July 2019

In Campgrounds

Today we headed out with our goal of making it to Parc national de Frontenac in southeastern Quebec. The park is close to Thetford mines and Halfway between Quebec City and Sherbrooke. We heard that they had some great bike trails, so off we went.

Now it was the middle of the week, so we quickly checked and saw that there was some availability, so off we went. The one thing we didn’t count on was the fact that the province of Quebec closes all construction down for the last 2 weeks of July! Meaning that there is a lot of people out on holidays and you guessed it, when we arrived at the park there was no availability! Our luck at riding the wave of cancellations was now officially over…. Darn. Well we did take the bikes off and go for a lovely bike ride around the lake. This looked like a beautiful park to camp and we will definitely try again in the future, maybe next time with a reservation.

Google, help!!! We lucked in and found a place not too far from where we were just on the other side of the lake. Marina Camping Le Grand Blue . They had a spot for us; Yeah!! This lovely little campground had mostly seasonal camping but did have a few spots available. The people were extremely friendly and spoke English too! It had a fabulous bike path on the paved road. A restaurant and bar in the club house that had the view of the marina. We walked around the marina and watched the boats come and go; we watched the waves turn into ripples then to a peaceful calm. Part of us wished we had a boat…. but we have our dream “Winnie” who is on wheels.

Eastern Passage

By Momma Jo

On 23rd July 2019

In Places We've Been

Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.
Anita Desai

For many years my mother has made frequent trips to Eastern Passage to pick up fish for her shop. The first time she took me here I instantly fell in love with it. Now, every time I am in town I jump in the car and go with her because this little village makes me feel so good. It makes me think NOVA SCOTIA!

The smell of the salt water, the fresh fish, the picturesque ocean view, the boats in the harbor, the lobster traps on the shore, the buoys on the fence. What screams Nova Scotia more than that? Now the bonus is that this area has a little board walk and some very colorful tourist shops to meander around, and the local restaurants have the best Fish and chips that I have ever had. The ladies at the information both were extremely friendly and helpful.

Today I ventured into Jo’s old Time Candy and Ice Cream Parlor. (It was the name that initially drew me in!) Unfortunately, it wasn’t open for another hour – I really wanted to try their saltwater taffy. Guess that is for the next trip down; and believe me I will be back – this little village is part of me now.

Still craving a sweet treat; we learned about the Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop in a book that we picked up at the tourist information booth. So I put the address in the GPS – it was on our way home……………Checked it out. ……………Decadent! I think this will be one of those stops that I need to make more often, if you know what I mean.

The Cobequid Trail

By Momma Jo

On 21st July 2019

In Places We've Been

Every person you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them.
H. Jackson Brown

We woke up today to the most beautiful sunrise; Oh, how very beautiful! This is giving us the inspiration to get out and enjoy this beautiful day. Before we left for the day, we met a fisherman who stopped to buy some bait and he said that he had to get out fishing before the bad weather comes in. We never thought anything of his comment, the sky was blue and not a cloud to be seen for miles. So, we packed up the bikes and headed to the town of Truro; to bike another part of the “Great Trail”, The Cobequid Trail.

This trail offers some of the most amazing views of the Cobequid Bay. We picked up the trail at the Fundy Bay Tidal Bore viewing area (one of the areas that you can watch the Tidal Bore come in). Which to some people it is a way to marvel at the magnitude of nature and Tidal changes and to others it is just a bore. For the most part the trail hugs the bay, but it does pass by a few farmers fields. And a lot of Cow’s Parsnip!

We headed back down the trail and decided to take into town. Not as peaceful as the first half of the ride but there was a microbrewery at the end of the trail! And it was a hot day and we deserved a cool drink! The Salty Dog Brewery, this was the first time Steve had a chance to enjoy some of their beer. They had four fruit inspired beer on tap today; Blueberry, Strawberry, Rhubarb and Gose. Surprisingly enough the Rhubarb one, with its sugared rim, was very enjoyable! Now we did notice that there was a lot of dark clouds coming in – so time to head back. After we packed up the bikes, we sat on the bench and watched the storm that was a brewing come up the Cobequid Bay. As we were marveling and taking pictures of the storm from afar, we realized that the storm was probably directly over Debert where Winnie our RV was parked. Panic sunk in as we remembered that we left ALL the windows and the sun light vent open!!!! OH Boy! Now Jo’s dad managed to close the windows from the outside so not too much water came in that way. But we had over 4 inches of rain in a short period of time and yep it did, it all came through the open roof vent. What a mess! What a frenzy.

So, when you meet someone new, they might know something that you don’t; learn from them. If we had listened to that fisherman, we might have closed the windows and doors in the RV.

Save Water, Drink Beer!

By Momma Jo

On 18th July 2019

In Places We've Been

Well, we are all about conservation. So, when the sign says “save water drink beer” who are we to argue. Today’s mini adventure took us to Meander River Farm and Brewery. Located in a small area called Ashdale, Hants County, Nova Scotia sits this family operated farm that grows lavender, perennials and fresh cut flowers and they also have pastured livestock. The farm provides an opportunity for its visitors to connect with rural Nova Scotia and experience its natural beauty. The area is beautiful, and tranquil. We caught it on a quiet day and enjoyed the peaceful ambiance. Well, of course while enjoying a few of their beer and ciders.

Today we tried their Little Big Lager, Lunch Box Pale Ale, Surf & Turf Scotch Ale, First Frost Cider, Small-lot Brut Cider, Shack Wacky Cider, Ashdale Honey Brown, Seeing Double DIPA. Now I know you all think; OMG how much do they drink? But what you might not know is we usually buy a flight of beer which is a great way to sample a variety of flavors. Usually each glass that you see is 4 ounces. So, a flight of beer is equivalent to 16 ounces or one pint of beer each. Not too bad hey?

We are on a mission to sample or 100 different types of craft beer this year. Everyone needs a goal!!

Peace by Chocolate

By Momma Jo

On 17th July 2019

In Places We've Been

A success story; doesn’t everyone love to hear them? What about a Syrian Refugee family who immigrated to Canada and is now giving back to the country that welcomed them in. The Hadhad Family, had a successful chocolate factory in the middle east until a bombing destroyed everything they owned and they were forced to flee their country. They immigrated to a small town in Nova Scotia called Antigonish, which is less than 90 minutes from Jo’s Moms place……DAY TRIP!!

We all piled into the van (Nanny and Gramps in tow) and headed out. Now when we first arrived at the Google address, we were very surprised at how very small the building was, it looked like a quaint shed. But inside this tiny little building was a small room packed with CHOCOLATE!!!! Everything inside here promoted Peace, – the décor, the apparel, and most of all the chocolate, named for Peace.

Forgive and Forget, Turn the Other Cheek, Bury the Hatchet, One PEACE Won’t Hurt, the Harmony bar, the Resilience bar and sow the peace chocolate bunnies with a packages of flower seeds to plant.

Mr. Hadhad, the master chocolatier, was here today and with the help of his granddaughter shared some samples of his chocolate. Unfortunately, he did not speak any English, so he couldn’t share his story with us; which for my dad and I is the best part of any adventure. However, today we let the chocolate do the talking. You can check out Peace by Chocolate to learn their story. Where they lost everything, came to Canada and started over, and from this little building now have built and opened a chocolate factory that employs 25 people. Now really, how does it get better than that!

Not quite ready to let the adventure end for today, we tracked down on a brewery in the town of Stellerton, “Backstage Brewing company” (You know us it has been a few days since we found a microbrewery and no trip is complete with out it.) This little brewery was started by a musician who wanted to re-create the backstage feeling. We tried 4 of their own brews. “Hangover Helper”, “Little Sister”, “Stiff Hopper Lip” and the “Coffee Black Dog Stout”. I have always enjoyed the names!! Even got Nan and Gramps into the action. We really enjoyed this stop. Definitely a place to try again.

Chocolate, beer, and lastly we topped it all off with wings at The Thistle restaurant in New Glasgow. Notice the Chocolate was first! Always have dessert first!

Deeply Connected – The Trans-Canada Trail

By Momma Jo

On 15th July 2019

In Campgrounds, Places We've Been

Our travels today have us stopping at the République Provincial Park, New Brunswick. Now I know we have mentioned this park before but this little gem is the perfect stop. It is the half way point between Ottawa and Nova Scotia and this is a drive we have done many times and will be doing a lot more until our house is done. The park is nestled on the Madawaska River, and offers access to some beautiful views of the river. It is also next door to the New Brunswick Botanical gardens and a train museum, if that is the sort of thing you like to do.

This time however we actually took the time to venture out on the bike path the “Trans Canada Trail” – “The Great Trail”.

It is where we all have a connection to the Trail – It connects places and it connects people. In 1992 two visionaries, Bill Pratt and Pierre Camu, were inspired to create a multi-use recreational trail that would be a thread to connect Canadians from coast to coast. By 2017 they created the world’s longest network of multi-use trails. Both Steve and I donated to this cause many years ago, but I honestly think this is the first year that we have taken advantage of this trail. We picked up the trail-head just outside of the campground and headed west towards Quebec. This part of the trail has some views of the Madawaska River, weaves through some forested areas, and some residential areas too. At one point it actually goes under the Trans Canada Highway. The border crossing between Quebec and New Brunswick is very well marked with signs that welcome you to their provinces. Depending on which direction you are heading you will be welcomed into the province with a huge sign.

“You are now entering Quebec/New Brunswick the people of Quebec / New Brunswick welcome you and invite you to enjoy the natural beauty and blessings of this part of the Trans Canada Trail. It is a lasting living legacy to our love of nature our land and our people”

My only wonder now is if all the provinces have the same sign, guess that gives us a reason to explore some more bike paths. Due to time constraints on this visit we only did 31 Kms. But I assure you that the next time we are here we are heading further into Quebec.

FAN-ATICAL!

By Momma Jo

On 13th July 2019

In Events

Football, Fans and Food Is Always a Fabulous Combination!
momma jo

If any of you follow the CFL (Canadian Football League) this year, you know that the Ottawa Redblacks were not having the best of a season. But one still should take in one game a year. If nothing else, to people watch. This is always fun to check out the level of support each team has. How many people are supporting the home team by wearing their Red and Black colors, or team merchandise and what about the ones who go to extremes and paint their faces with the red and black! Then there are the ones supporting the opposition team, a watermelon cap really?

Let’s remember the Cheering!! You have the loud and rambunctious cheering, and the subtle light clapping cheering. Then the best of all is the drunken cheering which gets a little louder, as the game goes on. My favorite are the ones who are carrying small pieces of a Fence and the letter D to help them cheer “D-Fence” during the game. The ones with the loud horns, the cow bells, the drums and various other noise makers. The ones waving the flags. You have the ones who blame everything on the white and black stripes (the referee). Good thing those referees have broad shoulders. Then of course our very own cheerleading and stunt team who are always smiling no matter how bad the game really is. Football fans are the best!

No football game in Ottawa should go with out visiting a local establishment for food before or after the game; and to meet up with some friends. In our case it was before the game, to grab a drink with our friends Daphne (aka Momma Duck) and Devin her son. Mostly to have reasonable priced beer and food! I am really not a fan of overpriced hotdogs at a game. Today we went to a Quaint little Mexican restaurant called Feleena’s. Just a couple a blocks up from Lansdowne Stadium, on Bank Street. No, it was not just because Feleena’s starts with an “F”. Really it was because the Patio was open and the Coronas were COLD!!

The décor was lovely, with the Mexican inspired wall murals, vibrant colours on tables and chairs. Mexican music and Margaritas too! Tacos, enchiladas, burritos, beans and rice.

How does it get better than this?

The Osgoode Link

By Momma Jo

On 9th July 2019

In Places We've Been

It is not about the Destination, it’s about the Journey
Betina woolbright

This is one of my favorite bike paths. It connects the south end of Ottawa to a small community south of the city, called Osgoode.

The path is 21km long, one way – formed on the old railway track. It is a flat path of stone dust that winds it way through farmers fields. It is a very pleasant and relaxing, almost meditative, bike ride.

We normally jump on in the middle; sometimes we head north but most times south, as there is a lovely café called the Red Dot that is in Osgoode. Unfortunately, today it was closed. Just another reason to take the path again on a day that the café is open!

It is all about the “R” factor

Railway track Reused

Recreational activity

Rejuvenation – keep in touch with the outdoors

Re-Fuel at the Red Dot Café

Repeat do it again…. If in the area, please take the time to enjoy the bike path and a meal at the Red Dot.

Childhood Dreams

By Momma Jo

On 7th July 2019

In Campgrounds

I always dreamt that I could make a cookbook. And when I was a kid, I would pretend I had a cooking show. Watching my daughter grow, we had hours of videos of her pretending that she too had a cooking show.

Now that I am retired, I still dream and love to cook. However, unlike the cooking shows I don’t have the dish that comes out of the oven 1 minute after I put it there.

So, every time I come up with a flavor combination, I Google it; then try and create and adapt the recipe a small pinch!! I tell you; it is really watching too much MasterChef and reality cooking shows.

There is a sense of accomplishment when you can start and finish something in the same day. How many of us start these projects or have jobs that is a never-ending feat? And let’s not forget the satisfaction of a good meal too or the simple fact that I like FOOD!!

Today was Chicken Tetrazzini, Mexican Diablo cookies, Toffee Crunch Blondies, and Lemon Blueberry Streusel Muffins. Now the blondies are a family favorite. The Tetrazzini was because I had a craving! The Mexican Diablo cookies were because I and Rebekah remembered having them in San Antonio, Texas and we tried to recreate them. And how to you beat a lemon and blueberry combination?

Everything tasted much better than the pictures! – Just sayin’! I don’t have photo shop LOL. Well, enjoy the pictures.

Cooking at home is different than when you are on the road. Please remember that a little meal prep does go well in freezer of the RV!

HAPPY CANADA DAY 2019!

By Momma Jo

On 1st July 2019

In Events

My FAVORITE HOLIDAY – it’s a no strings attached day! Just fun, a little creativity and oh, what a party!!

For our 30 years in Ottawa – Canada Day has always been about the party. In our earlier years in Ottawa, it was down on Parliament Hill; watching the fireworks from the roof tops of a friend’s business. To now, where we watch them from the hill in our backyard in Greely.

But it was all about Canada’s birthday. Canada, my favorite place on earth! Canada, got to love us Red and White, “We the North” now “She the North” (thanks to US Open Champion, Bianca Andreescu). Home to the religion of hockey and Hockey Night in Canada with Don Cherry; the Maple Leafs, Canucks, Jets, Oilers, Flames and the Senators. The new NBA basketball champs; Toronto Raptors. Our MLB baseball team, the Blue Jays, with some great new prospects. And of course, our very own football league, the CFL! Where you only have 2 chances (3 downs) to get it right! Also can’t forget our higher percentage alcohol beer, EH!

Once we moved to Greely it was always a pool party at our house. One year we had over 50 people there, WOW! But what a party. Beer can chicken is always on the menu and Red and White was always a must!

This year was saved by friend Lana, who allowed me to throw a party at her place. She is a lifesaver – because it wasn’t happening in Barrhaven. THANK YOU, Lana!

The prepping for the party is a lot of the fun. Finding new, creative ways to showcase our true colors; Red and White. Red and white chocolate pretzels. Red twizzler nib licorice, white gum balls, Strawberry margarita jello shots, with white sugared rims. Red Sangria with white apple maple leaf cut outs for the fruit. But the party is always the best part, and this year was awesome, still surrounded by my dear family and friends, and watching fireworks on the “hill” in Greely.

Happy Birthday Canada – The True North Strong and Free!

Month: July 2019

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